Five Mistakes Online Job Hunters Make

Elizabeth Garone

Monday, July 26, 2010

In a tight job market, building and maintaining an online presence is critical to networking and job hunting. Done right, it can be an important tool for present and future networking and useful for potential employers trying to get a sense of who you are, your talents and your experience. Done wrong, it can easily take you out of the running for most positions.
Here are five mistakes online job hunters make:

1. Forgetting Manners
If you use Twitter or you write a blog, you should assume that hiring managers and recruiters will read your updates and your posts. A December 2009 study by Microsoft Corp. found that 79% of hiring managers and job recruiters review online information about job applicants before making a hiring decision. Of those, 70% said that they have rejected candidates based on information that they found online. Top reasons listed? Concerns about lifestyle, inappropriate comments, and unsuitable photos and videos.
"Everything is indexed and able to be searched," says Miriam Salpeter, an Atlanta-based job search and social media coach. "Even Facebook, which many people consider a more private network, can easily become a trap for job seekers who post things they would not want a prospective boss to see."
Don't be lulled into thinking your privacy settings are foolproof. "All it takes is one person sharing information you might not want shared, forwarding a post, or otherwise breaching a trust for the illusion of privacy in a closed network to be eliminated," says Ms. Salpeter, who recommends not posting anything illegal (even if it's a joke), criticism of a boss, coworker or client, information about an interviewer, or anything sexual or discriminatory. "Assume your future boss is reading everything you share online," she says.

2. Overkill
Blanketing social media networks with half-done profiles accomplishes nothing except to annoy the exact people you want to impress: prospective employees trying to find out more about on you.
One online profile done well is far more effective than several unpolished and incomplete ones, says Sree Sreenivasan, dean of students at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He made the decision early on to limit himself to three social-networking sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. "There is just not enough time," he says. "Pick two or three, then cultivate a presence there."
Many people make the mistake of joining LinkedIn and other social media sites and then just letting their profiles sit publicly unfinished, says Krista Canfield, a LinkedIn spokesperson. "Just signing up for an account simply isn't enough," she says. "At a bare minimum, make sure you're connected to at least 35 people and make sure your profile is 100 percent complete. Members with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn."
LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are the three most popular social networking sites for human resources managers to use for recruiting, according to a survey released last month by JobVite, a maker of recruiting software.

3. Not Getting the Word Out
When accounting firm Dixon Hughes recently had an opening for a business development executive, Emily Bennington, the company's director of marketing and development, posted a link to the opportunity on her Facebook page. "I immediately got private emails from a host of people in my network, none of whom I knew were in the market for a new job," she says. " I understand that there are privacy concerns when it comes to job hunting, but if no one knows you're looking, that's a problem, too."
Changing this can be as simple as updating your status on LinkedIn and other social networking sites to let people know that you are open to new positions. If you're currently employed and don't want your boss to find out that you're looking, you'll need to be more subtle. One way to do this is to give prospective employers a sense of how you might fit in, says Dan Schawbel, author of "Me 2.0" and founder of Millennial Branding. "I recommend a positioning, or personal brand statement, that depicts who you are, what you do, and what audience you serve, so that people get a feeling for how you can benefit their company."

4. Quantity Over Quality
Choose connections wisely; only add people you actually know or with whom you've done business. Whether it's on LinkedIn, Facebook or any other networking site, "it's much more of a quality game than a quantity game," says Ms. Canfield. A recruiter may choose to contact one of your connections to ask about you; make sure that person is someone you know and trust.
And there's really no excuse for sending an automated, generic introduction, says Ms. Canfield. "Taking the extra five to 10 seconds to write a line or two about how you know the other person and why'd you'd like to connect to them can make the difference between them accepting or declining your connection request," she says. "It also doesn't hurt to mention that you're more than willing to help them or introduce them to other people in your network."

5. Online Exclusivity
Early last year, Washington's Tacoma Public Utilities posted a water meter reader position on its website. The response? More than 1,600 people applied for the $17.76 an hour position.
With the larger number of people currently unemployed (and under-employed), many employers are being inundated with huge numbers of applications for any positions they post. In order to limit the applicant pool, some have stopped posting positions on their websites and job boards, says Tim Schoonover, chairman of career consulting firm OI Partners.
Scouring the Web for a position and doing nothing else is rarely the best way to go. "When job-seekers choose to search for jobs exclusively online -- rather than also include in-person networking -- they may be missing out on 'hidden' opportunities," says Mr. Schoonover. "Higher-level jobs are not posted as often as lower-level jobs online. In-person networking may be needed to uncover these higher-level positions, which may be filled by executive recruiters."

Write to Elizabeth Garone at cjeditor@dowjones.com

This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit

How To Build A Powerful Professional Network
Tai Goodwin, 07.22.10, 9:15 AM ET

It is important to know the two Q's as you build out your network: quality and quantity. But have you considered the importance of having a well-rounded network?
In this job market, having a strong network is critical to your professional survival. There are plenty of tips and articles on where to find people, how and when to connect to them and even what you need to say to attract and maintain your network. This article focuses on who should be in your network.

Here are the top 10 people that should be in your network:
1. The Mentor: This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to have. You can learn from their success as well as their mistakes. Heed their wisdom and experience. This relationship offers a unique perspective because they have known you through several peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve.
2. The Coach: The coach is someone who comes in at different times in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached.
3. The Industry Insider: This is someone in your chosen field who has expert-level information or access to it. This person will keep you informed of what's happening now and what the next big thing is. Invite them to be a sounding board for your next innovative idea.
4. The Trendsetter: This is someone outside of your chosen industry who always has the latest buzz. It can be on any topic that you find interesting. The goal in having this person in your network is to look for those connections that spark innovation via the unconventional. It will also help you keep your conversations interesting.
5. The Connector: This is a person who has access to people, resources and information. As soon as they come across something related to you, they are sending you an e-mail or picking up the phone. Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to make connections, finding resources and opportunities that most people would overlook.
6. The Idealist: This is the person in your network you can dream with. No matter how "out there" your latest idea is, this is the person who will help you brainstorm ways to make it happen. Without judgment, they are focused on helping you flesh out your dreams in high definition, even if you don't have a solid plan yet on how to make it happen.

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7. The Realist: On the flip side, you still need the person who will help you keep it real. This is the person who will give you the raised eyebrow when your expectations exceed your effort. These are not people who knock down your dreams, rather they challenge you to actively make your dream happen.
8. The Visionary: Visionary people inspire you by their journey. They are similar to the Idealist, but the visionary can help you envision an actual plan to reach your goal. One personal encounter with this type of person can powerfully change the direction of your thinking and life.
9. The Partner: You need to have someone who is in a similar place and on a similar path to share with. In fact, partners do a lot of sharing. This is a person you can share the wins and woes with. Partners will also share resources, opportunities and information.
10. The Wanna-Be: This is someone you can serve as mentor to. Someone you can help shape and guide based on your experiences. One of the best ways to tell that you understand something is to be able to explain it to someone else. And sometimes, one of the best motivators for pushing through obstacles and hardship is knowing that someone is watching.
Obviously you will want to have more than 10 people in your network. The trick is to make sure you are building a diverse network by adding people from different industries, backgrounds, age groups, ethnic groups, etc. … that fit into the roles listed above. Building a deep network by only including people from your current profession or business focus leaves too many stones unturned, limiting potential opportunities.
Serious about building a strong professional network that can actually provide the leverage you need to make progress at work or in your business? Evaluate your current network and get started filling in the gaps.
Happy Networking!

Tai Goodwin, The Career Makeover Coach, is a professional development coach that specializes in career rejuvenation and reinvention. She is also host of the online radio show, Career Makeover Strategies.
Keep reading at ForbesWoman

Should There Be a National Memorial?

Author: Sweet*Tee aka Tabitha W.

Have you ever criticized someone in your life? As punishment for your criticism, what if your ear got cut off?  How would you feel if someone intentionally poured tar on your face? What is the lowest amount of money you think you can be sold for to another person? How would feel as you watch your loved ones being separated from each other to be shipped to different parts of the country against their will, never to be seen again? This is a glimpse into the life of a black slave in the United States. I believe that documented accounts and stories of African American slaves should be memorialized to honor and respect their lives of sacrifice, courage, and bravery.

           A memorial dedicated to African American slavery would be a great asset to the community. Many of today’s young adults have learned about much of our world events through other memorials such as the Oklahoma City Memorial, WWII Memorial, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. These national monuments preserve a major event in our American history. They give us the ability to value our future always remembering the past. Would an African American slavery memorial be any different?          

Many would welcome the opportunity to share with the world, stories of victory and triumph of our ancestors throughout one of the saddest, humiliating events in our country’s past. While the subject of African slavery is an uncomfortable topic, it is our responsibility to pay tribute to and share a huge part of American history. A memorial such as this would be able to educate future generations and to allow people to understand the horror and cruelty African Americans endured.  

According to Professor Manning Marable, author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come, “slavery was a crime against our humanity”.  “Many white institutions, including Ivy League universities, insurance companies, and banks, profited from slavery” (Marable, 5). “The actual number of men, women and children who were snatched from their homes in Africa and transported in slave ships across the Atlantic, either to the Caribbean islands or to North and South America, will never be known. Writers vary in their estimates, but there is no doubt that their number runs into millions (Bell, 1993).”  Studying, learning, and understanding slavery can also help us consider and restructure this gap within our society called racism.

“Slavery history is very important for all citizens of the U.S. to be familiar with, and this memorial will be doing its part to help this information reach the masses” (US National Slavery Museum). Having the opportunity to create a memorial dedicated to African American slavery would not just benefit the world and our communities. It will benefit individual citizens. African American citizens will get the chance to show our gratitude and appreciate to our ancestors who paved the way for us today. From the local college student paying her own way through college all the way to the doors of the White House of the current President of the United States.

References

Bell, Derek (1993).Race, racism, and the law: slave trade statistics. http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/slave04.htm

Marable, Manning. An Idea Whose Time Has Come.

Slave Facts. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/matt_kane/slave%20facts.htm

Strayer University. (2006). Research and writing: Custom edition. Boston: Pearson.

US National Slavery Museum http://www.usnationalslaverymuseum.org/slavery-museum.html

Tips For Landing A Federal Job

Applying for a job with Uncle Sam is notoriously time-consuming and tedious. Federal agencies can get thousands of applications for each position. A few tips on how to navigate the process:

Use "buzzwords." Many federal agencies use computers to sort through first-round applications. They look for each agency's "buzzwords" in your resume, cover letter, and essays -- so make sure you include them. On USAjobs.gov the government's job application portal, look at the "duties" section for the job you're applying for. Pick out the words, like "research" or "communication" that are used frequently, and sprinkle them throughout your application materials. Don't try to get creative -- the computer won't pick up on synonyms, so use the exact words listed in the position description.

Visit each agency's website. USAjobs.gov lists many of the openings for federal government jobs, but not all of them. If you know you want to work for a specific agency, check the jobs section of that website as well.

Don't rely on the Web alone to get you a job.The online application process is important, but just as in private sector jobs, attending job fairs and networking is too.

Show your enthusiasm for public service. Read the agency's mission statement and craft your application to show that your goals are in line with their stated mission.

Don't get discouraged -- the process is getting easier. President Obama told government agencies to streamline their application processes, and they're responding. By November, KSA's, the dreaded Knowledge, Skills and Abilities essays, won't be allowed in first-round applications; for some jobs, only a resume will be required at the beginning. The hiring process is also speeding up, and government agencies will be required to provide more feedback to applicants throughout the process.

-Carolyn Beeler
-- Source: Partnership for Public Service

Social Media: Get Your Foot in the Virtual Door

Use Social Media Like Twitter and Facebook to Get Ahead in the Job Search

By TORY JOHNSON
Workplace Contributor

July 15, 2010 —

The key to getting a job is getting in front of a decision-maker, which isn't as impossible as it may seem.
If you're savvy, social media can get you and your resume through the virtual front door to the person doing the hiring.
The key is to shift your emphasis from looking at positions to finding people. It starts by having comprehensive profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Without fully complete profiles, which includes uploading all of your contacts and connections, none of these sites are effective for jobseekers.

Twitter: Follow people who work where you want to work.

When you're logged into Twitter, on the top right side of your screen, you'll see a link to "Find People." Type in the name of the company you're eyeing and then review the profiles of each person (or organization) that pops up. Follow those who work in recruiting and/or within the departments that appeal to you.
Earlier this year, Trish Freshwater wanted a job at Sodexo, the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States. She turned to Twitter. Using the "find people" function, she entered the company name, and reviewed the profiles that turned up in the search results. She then followed those with "Director" or "VP" in their title, as well as everyone in recruiting. One month from sending her first tweet to the head of talent recruitment, Freshwater was offered a job.
Bonus tips on Twitter:
#1: Follow me at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson to ask your job search questions and to receive advice and leads to support your advancement.
#2: Check out TweetMyJobs, which allows jobseekers to sign up for daily alerts on job openings from more than 700 top employers. Alerts are delivered to you directly via email, Twitter or text message.

Facebook: Check out openings at the companies where your friends work.

Just last month, SimplyHired.com, the largest job search engine, launched a new way to job search by integrating a special feature through Facebook. It allows users to see the job openings at the companies where their Facebook friends work.
So instead of pleading to your friends, "Hey, do you know anyone who's hiring ... do you have any job leads for me?" -- an approach that's usually met with a blank stare -- you can be proactive by saying, "I found a perfect opening at your company that I'm ideally suited for, and I'm hoping you'd be willing to get my resume into the right hands."
Since more than half of all hires originate from referrals, this is a powerful way to enable your Facebook friends to help you. Click here for a video tutorial from SimplyHired on how it works.
Bonus tips on Facebook:
#1: Join (or "like") my page at Facebook.com/Tory, where our group shares advice and leads on jobsearching and career advancement every day. This is also where I often post questions to solicit ideas and guests for workplace segments on GMA.
#2: Share positive aspects of your job search on your wall to encourage your friends to support your efforts. Similarly, make sure that your photos are employer-friendly. Airing your frustrations or exposing negativity may be viewed by perspective employers, and that digital dirt could cost you an opportunity.

LinkedIn: Use company research to make connections

More than 1 million companies have profiles pages on LinkedIn, including every major company in the United States, as well as teeny ones, too. These company pages offer a wealth of information for jobseekers to put to work.
Once you're logged in, type the company name of your choice into the search box in the top right corner. You'll be able to see several pieces of key information:
Who in your network may work there or know someone who works there?
Who are the new hires at that company? (New hires, even if you don't know them, may be willing to chat about how they got the gig. Send an email saying something like, "Congrats on landing that awesome position! I'd love to work there too and I'm wondering if you'd have five minutes for me by phone?")
Who may have recently left that company, and could that be the sign of a potential job opening?
Bonus tips on LinkedIn:
#1: Your LinkedIn profile, if complete, allows you to showcase your professional best. Include a link to this profile in your email signature and in your other social media profiles.
#2: Join groups and be active. There are groups based on every location, industry, specialty and then some. Find the groups that are most applicable to the work you're pursuing -- and then engage with other members. Belonging isn't enough if you don't get busy making conversation.
#3: Explore jobs. Click on the JOBS tab across the top of your screen. LinkedIn matches openings based on keywords in your profile. That's another reason why it's essential to have a thorough profile posted. Job postings are often exclusive to LinkedIn, which means you won't find them elsewhere.
Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor on ABC's Good Morning America and the CEO of Women For Hire. Talk to her at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson.
Click here to return to the "Good Morning America" website.

Copyright © 2010 ABC News Internet Ventures

4 Lessons From Billionaire College Entrepreneurs

Michael Deane, provided by

Friday, July 2, 2010

There are more than enough college business success stories to go around - and I'm not talking about that dude who lived next to you in your dorm and made enough money for books by selling home-made Che Guevara t-shirts. I'm talking about the businesses that started in college and became billion-dollar companies. There's something to learn from the Zuckerbergs, Dells and Gateses of the world. Here are four of those lessons.

IN PICTURES: 6 Millionaire Traits That You Can Adopt

1. Find a Need and Fill It
   This is the most basic of advice for starting a business; either find something that doesn't exist but would improve the lives of those around you, or find an already available product and make it better and cheaper. Mark Zuckerberg is probably the most famous and richest 26-year old on the planet right now, and he did exactly this when creating Facebook. (The social networking site is a private company, but there are still a few ways that you can buy in. Check out Alternative Ways To Invest In Facebook.) Zuckerberg was an undergrad at Harvard in 2004, taking computer science (go figure), and had been programming since he was in his teens. At Zuckerberg's old school there had been a registry of students and their photos published every year, but not at Harvard. So Zuckerberg set out to change that, but after his initial hacking into Harvard's server to retrieve the information needed to make a kind of "hot or not" Harvard page, he was shut down and had to go a different route. This gave rise to thefacebook.com and later, after he and his team moved to California, facebook.com.
   There have certainly been problems and issues along the way, but what started as a desire to give everyone access to Harvard student photos has made Zuckerberg a billionaire. Facebook is expected to reach one billion accounts in the near future. (Find out how to keep Facebook from ruining your job prospects in 6 Career-Killing Facebook Mistakes.)
   
2. Think Outside of School
   Michael Dell regularly ranks among the richest men in the world as the founder and CEO of Dell computers. Dell actually started this company while he was still in college doing his pre-med courses. Even as a teenager, Dell was interested in computers and finding out how electronics work, and while he was at college, he turned this into a part-time job. Dell started upgrading computers from a room in residence and eventually started operating as "PCs Limited" out of a condo, selling upgraded PCs via direct order. This eventually became Dell computers, which dominated the PC world during the 1990s and mid-2000s. The company is not quite as dominant a PC force right now, but having started it as a hobby while pursuing an entirely different goal, Dell has certainly made his mark on the computer world. (The next time portfolio losses have you down, just be glad that you can blame some of your woes on the market, rather than your own poor judgment. Don't miss the Biggest Millionaire Flops.)
   
3. Use Your School Projects for Larger Goals
   When you're in college, it's best to try and focus your studies in a way that interests you and will work out in your favor once you're done school. So don't write a 2,000 word paper on Chapter 57 from "Moby Dick" unless you truly find it interesting or want to teach this Melville classic in the future; make your studies work for you.
   
   This is what Larry Page and Sergey Brin did when they were both pursuing their PhDs at Stanford in computer science. They were working on a research project that would create a search engine that would analyze the relationship between websites, and Google was born. The idea of Google comes from Brin's and Page's idea that information should be accessible and universal, and they're making this a reality through a project started at Stanford.
   
4. Don't Let School Get in the Way
   Bill Gates didn't let school get in the way of creating something that would both help the world and make him a multibillionaire. After scoring a mere 1590 out of 1600 on the SATs, Gates enrolled at Harvard with the hope of studying law, and after seeing one the first mass-consumed micro computers, the Altair 8800, Gates and his former classmate Paul Allen approached the maker of the computer to let them know they had written a programming language for the computer. After the maker of the computer, MITS, accepted the offer, Gates left Harvard to pursue his dream, never to return. Shortly after this, Microsoft was formed. Gates used the college's computer labs to work towards his real passion, and when that passion paid off, he realized that college wasn't for him. Zuckerberg also left Harvard and hasn't returned. (There are many ways to hit the million-dollar mark, but the faster you try to get there, the harder it becomes. Check out So You Wanna Be A Millionaire: How Long Will It Take?)
   

The Bottom Line
There are many other success stories, like Frederick Smith who based the idea for FedEx on an economics paper he'd written while doing a bachelor's of economics at Yale, but the majority of money-making college entrepreneurs have been involved with computers. Overall, college entrepreneurs need to focus on their true passions and let schooling aid them in getting to this goal, and if schooling gets in the way, entrepreneurs have to be prepared to put it aside to follow their idea to the end.
Catch up on the latest financial news; read Water Cooler Finance: Shocking Court Rulings, Sinking Markets.

Original story - 4 Lessons From Billionaire College Entrepreneurs
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Twilight: Breaking Dawn

'Breaking Dawn' Movie Details

Bethany Powers · July 6, 2010

With "Eclipse" raking in piles of cash this past weekend, Twi-Hards are already asking how the next installment of the Twilight Saga will be adapted onto the big screen -- and filming hasn't even started yet!
As the faithful already know, Stephanie Meyers's final book, "Breaking Dawn" -- which, at 756 pages, is by far the longest of the series -- will be filmed in two parts, Harry Potter-style. What really has them sharpening their fangs, though, is just how closely the movies will draw from the books. Splitting "Breaking Dawn" into a pair of movies will certainly allow it to be truer to the book, but just how much of the -- SPOILER ALERT -- sex, gory birth scene and a half-vampire baby will really be depicted on the big screen?

Summit reps recently told Entertainment Weekly both "BD" films will be PG-13, making fans wonder just how graphic the film could get. But Melissa Rosenberg, the screenwriter for all the "Twilight" films, told fans via her Facebook page that she'd ensure plenty of blood and sex and feathers in the films.
As for where the films will actually be split apart, she anticipates it'll probably have to do with Bella's transformation into one of the undead. Director Bill Condon will helm the final two movies, and Taylor Lautner has called the director "ridiculously talented" and is excited to see what Condon will bring to "Breaking Dawn."

It also looks like everyone's favorite vampires and werewolves will be back for more. Besides Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart reprising the most dramatic vampire/werewolf/human love triangle in cinematic history, Peter Facinelli, Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser, and Nikki Reed will all be back to fight baddie vampires another day. And after a salary dispute that nearly turned ugly, Ashley Green and hottie Kellan Lutz will also be reprising their roles in "Breaking Dawn."

The first part of "Breaking Dawn" is slated to be released on November 18, 2011.

Happy Independence Day

Have a Happy 4th of July! Stay Safe.